Chapter 686: Chapter 94 Comparison
From the day she beca a citizen, Liu Li knew there was no turning back. She was gambling, staking her and her daughter’s future on a high-stakes gamble, for if she failed, she would completely fall into the abyss. But she believed it was worth it, especially after hearing in great detail from Lin Xilei about Adrian’s power, and after he imdiately wrote a check for a million during their first agreent, she was quite convinced.
Moreover, Adrian had arranged for them to move into an upscale neighborhood in London and had given them his luxurious apartnt there. He let Yufei enroll in St. Paul’s Girls’ School and secured a light-duty job for Liu Li at a gallery. It was glamorous, dignified, and elegant—the most relaxed and pleasant ti since she had left the mainland. Oh no, even more leisurely than her ti on the mainland, and over the years in New York, she had developed so skills and made several well-placed … friends through the gallery, gaining so reputation among the ladies of the community.
The sweeter life got, the more she worried about losing it. Liu Li was painfully aware of the precarious foundation of her situation. Once Adrian lost interest in her daughter, the outco would be crystal clear, and she absolutely would not allow such a thing to happen. The best way to solidify this relationship, which she only now understood, was why Adrian had told her to handle the situation as she saw fit when they discussed it.
Although Adrian had visited their current ho a few tis in the past, it had not been frequent, and he had not visited in the last two months. Therefore, as sumr vacation approached and he was vacationing in London, Liu Li made call after call hoping he would visit again. Despite his secretary answering most of these calls, Liu Li was not discouraged, yet when Adrian eventually did visit, he never let anything slip and politely declined her offer for him to stay overnight.
This left Liu Li quite anxious, but fortunately, Adrian still appeared to like Yufei, otherwise he wouldn’t have made her so happy, thus encouraging Liu Li to persuade her daughter.
Liu Li also knew that she was wronging her daughter. She wasn’t a cruel or selfish woman; rather, an unfortunate marriage and seven or eight years of hard living had drained her of hope. Her teary conversation that night, although partly an act to coerce her daughter, was also half genuine. Already ostracized by the An family, unable to bear sons, and ultimately divorced, she had left for another country seeking a better life with her daughter.
But what could a dancer do? She had no other skills and would likely have ended up washing dishes in Chinatown in New York if not for … Despite all, she and her daughter still faced disdain until Adrian showed a slight interest, making Liu Li realize that she still had the card of her daughter to play.
At first, she struggled. Regardless of anything else, Yufei was her daughter, a piece of flesh that fell from her own body, and not even a tiger would eat its cub, let alone her who had painstakingly raised her daughter so large, having depended on each other for the past few years. But she couldn’t escape the temptation; she was fearful, could not see the future, and did not want to continue living life as it was, especially after that million-dollar check was cashed, making her yearn even more.
It wasn’t a difficult matter; her daughter had always lived with her and was heavily dependent on her, ek and compliant to her words. Although the matter was not so honorable, as long as she spoke softly and played the act, her daughter would surely agree. Once this thought erged, it was hard to suppress, and coupled with the comfortable life in London, her resolve only hardened further. Once so things are compared, it becos harder to ignore and comfort oneself.
Moreover, Liu Li had another thought: she hoped her daughter could beco famous in Hollywood and beco an international superstar with countless fans, and after achieving fa, return to Wuhan to finally show the An family.
At least Adrian was still a gentleman, considerate and non-coercive. Being with him … Yufei should be better off than herself. That was all Liu Li could think now.
Although he couldn’t see her face, Adrian knew her eyes were definitely spinning nonstop. After bringing Keeley and her mother to the United States, Adrian hadn’t missed chances to et and talk with her and kept track of her movents through Lin Xilei, matching them to his mory to understand her personality.
Frankly speaking, aside from looks and figure, Keeley’s overall quality was only diocre, evident from her receiving acting training and playing supporting roles in various TV dramas. Like most young girls, she was enamored with vanity, hoping to beco a dazzling superstar, yearning for adoration. If that was all, it might have been fine, but she also had a naivety and simplicity, sowhat resembling Britney. More importantly, Keeley had determination; just a little encouragent when she saw a glimr of hope could keep her striving, giving her a unique appeal.
Keeley knew what kind of power Adrian had; it was he who brought her from a small place on the outskirts of London to the vibrant big world of Los Angeles. Adrian’s visits had also left a good impression on her, so with just a little push from soone behind the scenes, today’s situation was set to fall into place.
In this regard, Lin Xilei, acting as Keeley’s agent, had done a good job, and Adrian needed to reward her well, in bed.
As for Keeley’s mother, Amber…
“I’m very satisfied, Keeley, very satisfied,” Adrian said with a smile, “Don’t worry. By next year, I’ll have a surprise for you—by the way, keep today’s matter from your mom for now, all right?”
Caught off guard, Keeley’s face went through an odd change, so words nearly slipping out, but ultimately, she held them back and lowered her head, “Understood.”
Undoubtedly, her mother had at least tacitly agreed, and in comparison to Liu Li and Yufei, it was indeed interesting.
“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore, just keep company today,” Adrian said as he scooped her up and headed for the bathroom.
“No problem,” Keeley giggled, twisting her waist.
Her adaptability was probably the best among Adrian’s won. Although today was their first ti, aside from the initial discomfort, she soon began to reciprocate, and by the end, they were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
After spending a comfortable month and a half in the United Kingdom, Adrian finally ended his vacation at the end of July. There was much to do, such as the post-production of “Moulin Rouge” and the upcoming shooting of “The Matrix.”
However, he did not head directly back to the United States, but instead, he called Ivanka and only took her with him on a flight heading east.
———–
“We are very sincere and very capable, and we only want to gain your—friendship,” an Asian elder, who appeared to be around 60 years old and seated at the head of the table, said fluently in English.
“Yes, you don’t need to invest too much, and if it feels inappropriate, you can terminate at any ti,” another slightly younger elder sitting next to him chid in promptly.
“What are you still hesitating about?” another elder, about their age, added.
Minutes later, Adrian, who had been standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window looking outside, finally turned around and smiled faintly at the three elders, “This is a fascinating city.”
“Of course, Seoul is the largest and best city in our country,” the first elder imdiately responded, pride evident in his tone.
Adrian shook his head slightly in his mind—typical South Koreans. But what of it? Lee Kun-hee was known for his tough style and getting straight to the point, yet he still had to speak indirectly in his presence, for they needed sothing from him.
“Samsung is indeed a very capable company, so for the first matter, I agree,” Adrian continued.
“Are you serious, Mr. Cowell?!” Lee Kun-hee’s eyes lit up, and the other two elders squinted their eyes.
“Yes, I agree that WCG accepts sponsorship from Samsung and am willing to host a competition in Seoul at the appropriate opportunity. Here, I see an unprecedented sense of collective honor that should have a positive, proactive effect on WCG,” Adrian spoke unhurriedly.
The three elders furrowed their brows slightly in unison.
“Is that all?” Lee Kun-hee asked, his face unexpressive yet his tone subtly conveying so dissatisfaction, clearly a reminder to Adrian.
“Don’t rush, Mr. Li, Mr. Gu, and Mr. Chung,” Adrian said leisurely, “I have only been in South Korea for two days and just overco the jet lag. Although I have listened to reports from the personnel previously sent here to scout and attended today’s eting, so matters still need my personal observation, consideration, and discussion with the counterpart in the United States before a decision can be made, don’t they? Moreover, regarding the cooperation, I have a better idea that also requires ti to gather data and intelligence and to make judgnts based on it. I will stay here for a few more days and will surely provide the three of you with a satisfactory response before I leave.”
The three elders Adrian conversed with here were the current sect leaders of Samsung, LG, and Hyundai Motors—Lee Kun-hee, Gu Bonmoo, and Chung Mong-kyu. His purpose here was simple; Samsung had not given up on the possibility of sponsoring WCG and proposed it again this year, simultaneously hoping to cooperate with AC dia along with LG and Hyundai Motors to enter the Arican market, just as Sony acquired Columbia and partnered with CBS. Unfortunately, there were no Arican movie companies currently available for them to acquire.
The three exchanged a glance, imperceptibly nodded to each other, and then stood up one after the other.
“Then we look forward to your august presence,” Lee Kun-hee bowed slightly.
“The itinerary will be arranged by you,” Adrian nodded, “Just coordinate with my secretary.”
“By the way, I am hosting a reception at my ho tonight, and I hope Mr. Cowell will honor us with his presence,” Gu Bonmoo said opportunely, causing Chung Mong-kyu, who was half a step behind, to raise an eyebrow.
“I will certainly arrive on ti,” Adrian said with a smile.
Although he did not like Koreans—otherwise, he would not have preemptively launched WCG—but when it involved huge interests, he did not mind cooperating with Koreans; Adrian had already successfully transford into a capitalist.
Ordinary Koreans, though… using the words from his previous life, they were all quite foolish, but the leaders of these major conglorates were definitely not foolish. As long as there were sufficient interests, they would definitely not act irrationally. Speaking of which, Korean conglorates were perhaps the happiest in the world: profits were theirs, and losses were covered by the state, truly enviable.
Of course, envy aside, Adrian did not truly hope that AC dia could receive such treatnt. It was a dysfunctional freak, only possible in a tiny place like South Korea, where the weather forecast could be summarized in a sentence. Although it seed thriving now, having recovered from the financial turmoil of a few years ago, once… (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to cast a recomndation ticket, monthly ticket at qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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